People and Places

Our objective is to make it easier for Chileans and international visitors to experience pristine nature, to provide full advice of the magic and beauty of the natural world and to share with them our experience of life in this country.

(The description below follows a geographical order, enumerating the places involved in our project )

Manzanar Hotel & Hot Springs

(*) Accomodation available

(Tascon Family Hotel). Managed by the sisters, Cristina & Soledad. The Hotel itself is located in a place called Manzanar, from which it takes its name. This place has been in the Tascón Family for the last 80 years. It is an old traditional wood building. The baths were remodeled during recent years and are well maintained. The pools in the garden of the hotel are clean and well kept and the temperature is regulated. The food at the hotel is rated as above average with excellent service. The rooms in the hotel are clean and modern, some of them have thermal water in their private bath. There are communal rooms as well as a full service bar available for guests. The garden at the back of the hotel goes along side the Cautín River.

Quincho Mahuida

(name given to the personal enterprise of José Cordova Salazar.)

Don José, known locally as Pepe is an old settler from Malalcahuello, not far from Manzanar. He is dedicated to several activities, amongst them trekking, horse riding and guiding. He does oversees riding or trekking to Malalcahuello National Park or to the Lonquimay volcano. He and his family run the ski resort "Los Arenales". We can say with ease that he is always aware of where to guide visitors to find scenic and well suited places for novice riders or trekkers. Most tourists will appreciate the grandeur of the views and Pepe is an attentive and warm personality to travel alongside. The ancient araucaria trees along his itinerary routes are spectacular and numerous. Any time from September to May is good for a ride with Pepe, and sometimes when there is a lot of snow another dimension of adventure is added to the outing.

Galletué

(*) Accomodation available

This Lagoon (laguna) is at the extreme eastern part of Araucania, not far away from the Chilean-Argentine border. A tour just to have a view from Laguna Galletué and Laguna Icalma, separated by 15 minutes drive, is well worth the effort. Although we offer it within our programs as a day trip, we have the facilities at the lagoon side to stay overnight but only for very small groups. The house is a family mountain cabin, built for summer time, but with minimum facilities (hot water and electricity) to venture a stay there. The open parks are covered with Araucarias (monkey puzzle-trees) providing wide views of distant ranges and remote lakes. One of our partners (Gonzalo Lledó) is the owner of anextended piece of land there, which allows us to organize fishing, trekking, riding, biking and walking tours around the Laguna Galletué.

Conguillío National Park

Dominating this Park is the spectacular 3,125mt Llaima Volcano. Its lava flows have transformed what was a richly forested landscape, and created a number of attractive lakes. The largest, Lago Conguillío (1,800 acres), is connected by natural tunnels to the Río Truful-Truful. You can join one of our guides who are very knowledgeable about the park's surroundings, geology, flora and fauna, and climb with them to a ridge above the tree line on the Sierra Nevada. Throughout the climb you get excellent views of the lakes and the Llaima Volcano. Another alternative is to climb the Volcano itseld, a trek that we offer along with many more.

We propose to stay in a lovely cabins complex next to the Park; "Santa Elvira de Tracura".

Santa Elvira de Tracura

(*) Accomodation available

This place is owned and operated by Gladys and Joaquin Fuentes. The cabins are located in a very beautiful valley along a river, twenty minutes from Conguillío Park by car, and 12 kms from Melipeuco on the way to Icalma. The facilities are located within a farm containing cattle and an orchard. The spacious cabins have kitchen facilities and ample bedroom space on the upper level to accommodate a large family or small groups. The Fuentes family usually offers enjoyable home cooked meals.

There are a few lovely trekking trails around their place. Moreover, Rodrigo, their son, is a good riding guide who enjoys showing the surroundings to visitors.

Matanza

Gonzalo Lledó´s main property is a ranch below the slopes of the Llaima Volcano, only 6 kms away from Melipeuco, on the road to Cunco. The ranch property is heavily forested and contains a short trail through a temperate rainforest to a beautiful waterfall. Some other long trails can be done on horseback or on foot, taking visitors through a splendid bamboo forest to the lava fields high above the ranch on the slopes of the volcano. This can be a challenging ride for the novice horseback rider and provides for some exciting riding on narrow steep trails. Our guides, however, are extremely careful and attentive for your safety.

A more relaxing climb can be done on a two day walking tour with a luxury camp stay overnight. During the stay at the ranch a delightful "asado" (barbercue) is prepared by the staff and complimented with fine Chilean wine as part of the treatement.

La Bastilla

(*) Accomodation available

Is the resort and home of Luciano Hiriart and her daughter Beatriz, located in the lush lowlands of the region, at 4 kms from Los Laureles on the road to Colico Lake. There are two private houses for lodging containing several bedrooms, two baths each and a kitchen, living room and its own garden. One is smaller, and is equipped for a six-member family and the other is much larger for up to ten people. The facilities are comfortable and in a very quiet setting. These lodginds are situated on a beautiful estate above the river and have a long history within the community (100 years). During the evening it is usual to meet the hostess at her home for gourmet dinner and then visitors retire to their lodgings.

Within the activities it is usual to escort the visitor to the river in an oxcart for a run down stream for several kilometers, or to a lush temperate rain forest to observe a wide variety of bird species. Fishing, walking and riding tours are also available. The hosts speak English and French. Tenis and swimming pool are also included in the facilities.

Flor del Lago

(*) Accomodation available

This Fundo (farm), where Amelie Castell lives, is situated at the northern side of Lago Villarica. Farming and forestry form the corner stone of life on the Fundo, which has been in the Wagner family for over three generations. Amelie is the trekking and riding tours guide organizer. She speaks German, English, and French.

The paths used here are chosen to give you the best views of the magnificent landscape and most of them are manageable even for less experienced riders. Riding tours start out at the property stables, where you will have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the horses and refresh your riding skills if required. Visitors enjoy an unforgettable ride through this Fundo with breathtaking views of the lake and the volcano.

Casona Suiza

(*) Accomodation available

The former main house of a swiss family in Fundo la Rinconada, nowadays run by Peter Grüebler, one of the descendants, is a place along the banks of the Toltén river, 4kms away from Freire (25kms south from Temuco). The environment is beautiful and quiet. Peter suggests coming here to make the most out of interacting with the warm southern people in a cosy home, fully equipped with several rooms, some of them with private bath. The visitor will taste the excellent habilities of the Cook and enjoy the conversing with the landlord. Fishing on the Toltén, where salmons up to about 12 kilos can be easily caught, and taking long walks around the farm, are part of the activities a guest can enjoy here.

Villarrica National Park

The Villarrica Forestry Reserve was created in 1925, one of the earliest protected areas in the country, and became a National Park in 1940. It now covers 151,000 acres between 600mt and 3,776mt in altitude. Its soil is formed from sedimentary rock and granite, and the volcano was formed starting 15 million years ago through to the last 600,000 years, due to lots of volcanic eruptions. The average precipitation here is about 2,500-3500mm, but the wettest and coldest parts receive up to 5,000mm. A very dense forest covers some parts, while higher up there´s just Andean grassland followed by bared rock, lava fields and ice.

The Villarrica Volcano (2,840m) is one of Chile´s two most active volcanoes. The Volcano can easily be climbed in 8 hours up and down.

Parque Metreñehue

(*) Accomodation available

Mrs. Ursula Hildebrandt has accomplished personal dream here. She owns and runs 7 comfortable cabins in a magnificent garden surrounded by native forest along the Trancura river. The place is not far away from Pucón and on the road to Caburgua, set in a spot to relax away from the noise of town. The temperate swimming pool in the garden, the play-room and the "once" (high-tea) at the community house provide the visitor comfort and privacy. The houses are fully equipped, each one with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, family room and kitchen. Ursula has a special charm and is a wonderful hostess. By the way she cooks german delicatessen which she offers to her guests.

Huerquehue National Park

Huerquehue offers fantastic hiking. It is accesible either from Pucón or from Cunco. We suggest in our itineraries to take the road from Cunco to Reigolil. The Park is a massif of Upper Cretaceous classic volcanic rocks and granitic intrusions, covered by more recent volcanic activity. It receives less rain than Villarrica National Park. This produces a temperate rainforest similar in structure to the other Parks in the area. Here the Araucaria tree is dominant from 1,000m to 1,700m. To the north you can also find the Ciprés de la Cordillera trees.

Corral del Agua

(*) Accomodation available

Rodrigo Sugg is the proud owner of this Fundo, situated nearly on the border with Argentina, set in the Andean Mountain Range. Not far from Huerquehue National Park and the town of Curarrehue, which is on the international road crossing, in the Puesco and Lanín National Park (in Argentina) sector. Corral del Agua is covered with native forest and runs along the Maichín River, providing a paradise either for fishermen or birdwatchers. It is half an hour driving from Curarrehue on the road to Reigolil.

Our host here, Rodrigo is an expert guide, bilingual, with a vast experience at guiding. Four recently built cabins are fully equipped for visitors to stay at. Rodrigo and his well-trained staff can organize mountain trekking, full day horse riding tours, or just relaxing for you.

Volcán Lanín Area

Further east the main international road from Pucón to Junín de los Andes follows the río Trancura through the Puesco sector up to the frontier post. There exist some trailpaths well worth the visit, one leading to Laguna Blanca and the Quetrupillán sector, and the Sendero Momolluco trail leads southeast to the west side of the Lanín Volcano.

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